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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitcher · key · shower · cue · straw · temple · lie · rash

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. cue — a signal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. key — for a lock
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. key — the most important part
  11. shower — rain
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cue — a hint
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. lie — to recline
  19. key — in music
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. cue — for pool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com